As the Second Wizarding War ended, many students decided to go back to Hogwarts to finish their studies. Anne-Leigh Conway was one of them.
While she attempts to come to terms with what's happened, she gets entangled in an effort set forth by Headmi...
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13. Credit Where Credit is Due
Later, during dinner, Ron and Nova were deep in conversation about something where they didn't seem to fully agree. Harry was witnessing the conversation with an amused look on his face, eating the contents of his plate as if it was popcorn.
Another few Gryffindors beside Leigh were talking about what had just occurred: the fireworks and candies and the news of the grand opening of the shop, which, coincidentally, fell on the same day as the Hogsmeade trip. Of course. No wonder they delayed setting a date for the grand opening - they waited until a Hogsmeade trip was announced.
"McGonagall must be fuming!" Someone to Leigh's right spoke. "I'm surprised she hasn't said anything yet."
Leigh's eyes drifted up to McGonagall in the front of the hall. She looked as calm as ever. Filch, however, had not taken the news well. Seeing the twins back in the corridors, throwing about fireworks and Merlin knows what else - everyone thought he was going to have a heart attack. Poor guy thought the worst was over when the two pranksters left Hogwarts, only to now be faced with the bitter reality.
Leigh sat silently during dinner, eating her food occasionally, but mostly pushing the plate's contents around with a pondering look on her face. It was her first meal of the day, and subconsciously she knew that not eating would affect her mood, but she quickly pushed the thought from her mind.
The atmosphere around her was exciting and joyful, yet she was uncertain what to feel. Her thoughts drifted to the corridor a mere few moments earlier, and she swore she could still feel the slight gust of a breath upon her ear. Her face heated up. It was a bit embarrassing really. It had been a crowded corridor, and none of them wanted their words to be heard by anyone else. That's all. The fact that she was so touch starved that she thought back to an innocent moment between friends, not even that really, was just a tiny teensy bit pathetic.
She shook her head to herself. It was nothing, She was thinking too much. Not just about that, but about everything. It was as if she could feel the thoughts bubbling up in her head, putting pressure on the insides of her skull.
She had had a nice few days, she really had. She had enjoyed her classes, enjoyed partying, enjoyed being more present for her friends, and even enjoyed having some conversations with people she normally didn't speak to, a notable example being Fred Weasley, as unexpected as that was.
Still, despite those nice moments she could feel the stormy undercurrents trying to fight their way back up. It was said that it comes in waves, and she really started to understand what they meant. That strange seething sensation stayed constant in the pit of her chest.
The joyful chatters continued around her, and she forced herself to look up at her friends briefly. They, too, were discussing the display of mischief which previously played out in the corridor. Ron seemed proud, and gladly accepted nods his way from people who suddenly had a newfound liking to the Weasley siblings.
